Every Saturday and Sunday this summer, The Hague Insider publishes a special Summer Briefing, taking a deep dive into the politicians, companies and policy dossiers shaping The Hague, Brussels and beyond. Today, we focus on a company that has become far more than a technology giant: ASML. The Veldhoven-based
Every Saturday and Sunday this summer, The Hague Insider publishes a special Summer Briefing, taking a deep dive into the politicians, companies and policy dossiers shaping The Hague, Brussels and beyond. Today: Dilan Yeşilgöz, Defence Minister, VVD leader, Deputy Prime Minister — and one of the most influential figures in Dutch
Twelve years after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board, the Netherlands is still pursuing justice on multiple legal fronts. International courts have increasingly concluded that Russia bears responsibility for the disaster, yet compensation, full accountability and any form of admission
The NATO summit in Ankara was meant to prove that the Alliance remains united as Europe takes on greater military responsibilities and Washington pushes for a gradual transfer of burdens. According to the Dutch government, that objective was achieved. Behind the optimistic rhetoric, however, lies a much larger question: can
As political pressure on the International Criminal Court intensifies from multiple directions, the Dutch government has now taken a clear position in one of the most consequential crises in the Court's history. Ahead of a decisive vote by the ICC's member states on 24 July, The
Was a Curaçao-flagged vessel really involved in a US military operation near the Strait of Hormuz? Authorities in Willemstad are pushing back against reports linking the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the incident, saying the ship in question was not lawfully registered under the Curaçao
The latest polling figures are finally giving Prime Minister Rob Jetten some breathing room. Yet inside The Hague, attention is already shifting to August and September. Which opposition parties will the government turn to in order to secure support for its budget? Will it seek a deal on the left
The death toll is rising at an alarming pace, the World Health Organization fears thousands of infections may still be undetected, and international funding remains under pressure. As the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa escalates, the Dutch government is stepping up its contribution — but health officials warn the crisis could
It remains uncertain whether the Dutch embassy in Juba, South Sudan, will stay open. The prospect of closure has raised concerns in the Dutch House of Representatives and among humanitarian organizations due to the deteriorating situation in South Sudan. New parliamentary answers reveal that the government is, for now, sticking
A new offensive from Washington against the International Criminal Court is triggering growing alarm in both The Hague and Brussels. As US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accuses the ICC and its supporters of waging a “war” against America, Dutch and European officials are responding with increasingly sharp language of
The Dutch government’s unprecedented decision to block the sale of IT services provider Solvinity by the US technology company Kyndryl has cleared its first major legal hurdle. A Rotterdam court has refused to suspend the takeover ban while the case is under review, offering an early indication of how
What happens if Washington goes beyond symbolic measures and launches a full-scale campaign against the International Criminal Court in The Hague? That question is increasingly dominating conversations behind closed doors in The Hague, according to diplomatic and legal insiders, after the Trump administration signalled it is prepared to use
Europe & EU
The European Union moved one step closer to debating restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements on Monday — but not closer to agreement. Despite growing pressure from countries including the Netherlands and Spain, EU foreign ministers remain deeply divided over whether any measures should be taken, how far they should go,
Ukraine
As Russia intensifies its ballistic missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, Kyiv and nine European allies have agreed to take a major new step in defence cooperation: jointly developing a future missile shield capable of countering some of Moscow's fastest and most difficult-to-intercept weapons. The decision, announced
Russia
The Netherlands has summoned the Russian ambassador following what Dutch authorities describe as a series of cyberattacks linked to Russia, including the hacking of private surveillance cameras positioned along routes used for the transportation of military goods.
Caribbean & Latin America
A last-minute Dutch intervention forced Venezuela’s most prominent opposition figure to turn back mid-flight. New revelations from Washington suggest the episode was triggered by confusion inside the Trump administration, exposing an extraordinary diplomatic miscommunication involving The Hague, the United States and the future of Venezuela’s political
United States & Canada
Washington raised concerns. Beijing remains a crucial market. And at the centre of it all stands ASML. How does The Hague assess ASML's compliance with export controls after concerns previously raised by American officials? And what does this reveal about the Netherlands' increasingly delicate position between the
Caribbean & Latin America
Should Bonaire, Aruba and the other Caribbean parts of the Kingdom move closer to the European Union – or instead preserve their autonomy? A major new study now before the Dutch House of Representatives makes one thing clear: the answer is far less straightforward than The Hague had hoped.
Ukraine
Could Monday's gathering of more than 30 Ukraine-supporting countries mark the next step? Will allied nations move beyond political declarations and begin preparing joint military exercises? And what does this mean for Ukraine as hopes for a ceasefire remain distant? Those are some of the questions hanging
Russia
Dutch intelligence services have now revealed that Russian state-backed hackers managed to compromise a number of internet-connected cameras in the Netherlands, including devices positioned along military logistics routes used to transport equipment and weapons. The answers offer a rare glimpse into a covert surveillance campaign stretching across NATO
Russia
How far is the Netherlands prepared to go against vessels suspected of helping Moscow evade sanctions? What specific powers will Dutch authorities gain? Which ministries will be responsible for enforcement? Subscribers can read the full political and security implications here.
Middle East
How far is The Hague willing to go behind the scenes for Omar Elshal, a Dutch ASML employee who has been held in an Egyptian prison for months? The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is saying little publicly, but it has confirmed that Cairo has been formally urged to ensure
Dutch politics
How dependent is the Netherlands on the raw materials needed to build warships, drones and batteries? And what happens if those supplies suddenly disappear — because of Chinese export controls or the closure of the Strait of Hormuz? The Dutch government is sounding the alarm over growing geopolitical pressures on critical
Dutch politics
When the Dutch government launched a €50 million fund for scientists working under pressure, ministers insisted it was not aimed at any one country. But the first results tell a different story. Some are arriving from institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, Yale and Columbia. How did the Netherlands become one